Fancy-loom.



PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906 J. R. FITTON. FANCY LOOM.

v APPLIOATION FILED 00127, 1905.

THE "cams PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. FITTON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OROMPTON-THAYERLOOM COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSA- CH USETTS, A FIRM.

FANCY-LOOM.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed October 27, 1905. Serial No. 284,618.

This invention is an improvement on the class of fancy-loom representedin United States Patent No. 274,914 granted to George Crompton April 3,1883, wherein partial cylinders engage vibrator-gears and move jacks orlevers instrumental in forming sheds in the warp and also for moving aseries of dropshuttle boxes. In the patent referred to one set or pairof partial cylinders engage and move the vibrator-gears used inshedding, and the shafts carrying each of said cylinders are eachprovided with a second partial cylinder for engaging the vibrator-gearsfor moving the shuttle-boxes, one of said two cylinders on the sameshaft being adjustable with relation to the other, so that the teeth ofone cylinder may be set ahead of the teeth of the other cylinder, thatthe different steps in the operation of the loom may be taken at justthe proper times in the rotation of the crank-shaft, the object being toclose the shed as quickly as possible after the passage of the shuttlethrough the shed.

In fancy-looms the box-motion picking and protection must always work inperfect agreement, their operation taking place in the proper orderduring a definite portion of the cycle of operation of the loom but thetime in which the shed is opened and closed varies for the best resultsaccording to the particular class of weaving that is being done. As thisclass of loom is now made it is possible to set the teeth of the partialcylinders controlling the shedding only from four to five teeth ahead ofthe teeth of the partial cylinders instrumental in actuating theshuttle-boxes, because of the construction of the pattern-carrying meansor the means employed for moving the pattern surface or chain that bytheir protuberances control the operation of the shed-forming means andthe shuttle-boxes. To provide for the widest possible range of lead ofthese teeth when the loom is employed for fancy weaving, I have deviseda novel pattern-cylinder wherein the part thereof sustaining theshuttle-box pattern surface or chain is so sustained with relation tothe part of the pattern-cylinder sustaining the shed-forming patternsurface or chain that one of said surfaces or chains may be set ahead ofthe other, that the shed-forming mechanism and the shuttle-bozies mayfollow in their operation as may be desired.

As I have herein chosen to illustrate my v invention there is a loose orslot open connection between the part of the pattern-cylinder carryingthe shed-forming pattern surface or chain and the part of thepattern-cylinder sustaining the pattern surface or chain for shiftingthe shuttle-boxes, and by changing the length of the slot the distancethat one pattern surface or chain shall lead the other may bedetermined, and when the patterncylinder for effecting the shedding isreversed, as when finding a mispick or correcting other fault, theshed-forming patternchain will take converse positions on the reversemovement, so that it will lead, as when moving forward and weaving isbeing done.

Figure 1 shows in elevation and section a sufficient part of a loom ofthe class described with my invention added to enable my invention to beunderstood. Fig. 2 shows the boxmotion partial cylinder detached. Fig.3-

shows the two partial gears arranged end to end on a shaft. Fig. 4 showsmy novel pattern-cylinder or parts for sustaining the pattern surface orchain. Fig. 5 shows a section on the line 33', Fig. 4, looking to theright. Fig. 6 is a section on the line :6 Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 shows theshaft carrying the shedforming pattern-surface as having been reversed,so that it will lead the shuttle-box pattern surface or chain.

In the drawings the shed-forming partial cylinders A B, carried by theshafts A B, and the box-motion partial cylinders 0, one on each shaft AB- and secured to said shafts, and the partial cylinders A B, with thoseof their teeth first to act set more or less behind the leading teeth ofthe shedforming partial cylinder, the vibrator-gears D, pivoted on thefingers D, having their fulcrum at D on the head-motion frame E, and theharness or shedding levers E, pivoted at E and joined by the connectionwith said vibrator-gears, are and may be all as usual in loomsnowvcommonly in use. The partial cylinders may and will in practice berotated continuously by means common to this type of loom. The part F ofthe pattern-cylinder (it having notched disks (0 to contain the bars aof the pattern-chain, said bars having suitable rolls or actuators a ais and may be common to the patent referred to, showing one 100111 ofthe type to which my invention is applicable, and this shaft F may berotated either forwardly or backwardly, as when the loom is weavingcloth or when the parts are being moved to find a shed in which a faultoccurred in weaving by the gearing shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of said PatentNo. 274,914 acting on a toothed wheel fast on the end of said shaft.Said wheel is designated by the num ber 15 in said patent and by thesame num* ber herein; but herein said wheel is but partially shown. Theparts so far referred to specifically are and may be all as usual.

In accordance with my invention I provide a sleeve G, it having notchedwheels G, that receive the usual bars 5 of a chain having rolls orprotuberances b, that operate in determining the selection of theshuttle-boxes. This shuttle-box chain may be all as usual. This sleeveis shown as applied loosely to the shaft forming part of thepattern-cylinder F. The inner end 'of the sleeve Gr, forming, with thenotched plates GG, the shuttle-box pattern-cylinder, is shown asprolonged to abut one of the notched plates (1, and the prolongation hasa collar 9, that receives a pin or screw g, the inner end of whichenters a circumferential notch 2 in the shaft F, thus making apin-and-slot connection between the two pattern-cylinders, so that oneof said cylinders, as F, which by the ends of the notch 2 contactingwith the pin g becomes the driver for the cylinder G, may be started andbe rotated for a greater or less distance, that depending on the lengthof the notch 2, without moving the other cylinder. In this way provisionis made for starting one cylinder before the other, so that one cylindermay lead the other more or less.

Fig. 6 shows the shoulder at the right-hand end of the slot ascontacting with the pin g, as when. the pattern-cylinder F is beingmoved forwardly by the means referred to and common to said patent.

Fig. 5 shows how the notched plate a of the cylinder F leads the notchedplate G of the sleeve G.

Fig. 7 shows that the cylinder E has been reversed, as customary when amispick or other fault occurs in the weaving that has to be rectified bythe weaver, and it will be seen that the left-hand end of the notch isin contact with the pin, in which position it will be understood thatthe shed-forming chain carried by the pattern-cylinder F leads just asit does when the parts are in the position for regular weaving, as inFigs. 5 and 6.

By connecting the two pattern-cylinders loosely or providing a definiteamount of lost motion between them it will be seen that one cylinder andits chain will lead the other in whichever direction thepositively-driven cylinder, as F in this instance, is being turned an dthat whenever the direction of movement of the positively-drivencylinder is changed it automatically changes its position with re lationto the cylinder driven by it, so as to lead the cylinder, as G, whateverthe direction of rotation of the cylinder F.

I consider that I am the first to combine two pattern-cylinders, onehaving a pattern surface or chain for controlling the time for formingsheds with a pattern-cylinder having a pattern surface or chainforcontrolling the order of movement of a series of dropboxes whateverthe specific construction of the pattern-cylinder, so that one chain isso connected with the other that one chain will always lead the other inwhichever direction the chains are moving, and I desire to claim thisfeature broadly.

I have not shown the harness-frames that will be connected by cordingwith the notched jacks or levers E, nor have I illustrated anysh.uttleboxmoving mechanism; but it will be understood that I may employany usual drop-box-moving mechanism. common to fancy-looms havingpartial cylinders, and it will also be understood that the partial gearsC, one on each shaft A B, will have placed between them vibrator-gearslike the gear D and that said vibrator-gears will be sustained andconnected with levers forming part of shuttle-box-actuating mechanism,all as common to looms of this type.

I have provided the head-motion frame (see Fig. 1) with a friction-check(shown as a spring f) that in practice acts on the outer end a of thesleeve G and prevents the rotation of said. sleeve except when the pinmeets one end of the notch 2. This is necessary for in case a bar of theshuttle-box pattern-chain should come next the fingers carrying thevibrator-gears instrumental in moving the drop-shuttle boxes and thepattern-cylinder F should be turned the sleeve G would be turned withthe cylinder F but with the friction device the sleeve cannot turnexcept when moved positively.

In my invention the pattern-cylinder F is rotated continuously throughthe gear on its shaft, and I am enabled to adjust the leading teeth ofthe shed-forming partial cylinders for any desired distance in advanceof the teeth of the partial cylinder for moving the shuttle-boxes, and Iam also enabled. to dis pense with the usual fast and slow drivinggearsemployed for actuating the patterncylinders at a variable fast or slowspeed, which is of great advantage, as by running the pattern-cylinderat a uniform speed all jerking of the chain is obviated and no slackchain is formed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom supplied with a pattern-sur face used to operate theharness-jacks, and a pattern-surface used to call different cells ordrop-boxes into operative position, means to adjust saidpattern-surfaces that one may lead the other, and means when saidpatternsurfaces are to be reversed to insure that the samepattern-surface continues to lead.

2. In a loom having shuttle-boxand shedi'orming pattern-chains, a shaftto sustain the shed-forming pattern-chain, a sleeve to sustain theshuttle-box pattern-chain, and connections between said shaft andsleeve, whereby one chain may be set ahead of the other, and when thechain is reversed the same chain will lead the other, thus maintainingthe existing relation between the two chains.

3. In a loom, a shed-forming pattern-cylinder having a pattern-surface,combined with a drop-box pattern-cylinder having apattern-surfacerotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shed-formingpattern-cylinder, and means to insure automatically that one of saidpattern-cylinders leads the other of said pattern-cylinders in whicheverdirection said cylinders are rotated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. FITTON.

Witnesses:

GRACE A. BEMIS, CHARLES F. ALDRICH.

